Want to avoid last-minute ATM runs. Do most hostels in Kosovo take card payments at check-in
My check-in at a Pristina hostel went smoothly with Mastercard, but when I traveled south to Prizren, cash was the only option. The country unofficially uses the euro, and ATMs from ProCredit Bank are easy to find in cities. Still, cash culture dominates in small hostels. If you want to avoid last-minute withdrawals, plan ahead - card is fine in Pristina but unreliable elsewhere. Cash is safer if you’re moving around.
Kosovo is a mix. Pristina hostels often accept card - mine near Mother Teresa Square did. But out in Peja or Prizren, smaller places almost always wanted cash. ATMs are everywhere, and foreign cards work okay with minor fees. If your goal is to avoid ATM runs, it’s manageable in the capital, but rural hostels will almost certainly demand cash euros. Bring some cash with you, and you’ll be fine.
In Pristina, I had no issue paying by card at my hostel, and even the bar attached to it was card-friendly. But when I went to Gjakova, the family hostel I stayed at didn’t take card, only euros in cash. ATMs from BKT and Raiffeisen Bank worked fine with my Wise card, but it was still an extra step. If you don’t want to scramble, use card in the capital but keep cash for smaller towns and border areas.
Hostels in Pristina mostly accept cards, especially the bigger ones like Buffalo Backpackers. I paid with Visa easily. That said, a smaller hostel in Peja only wanted cash in euros. Kosovo uses the euro unofficially, so ATMs from ProCredit and Raiffeisen are everywhere. To avoid last-minute ATM runs, have at least some cash, but you’ll find plenty of hostels taking cards in the capital. It’s less predictable in smaller towns, though, where cash is king.